Aloha.
Welcome to the team!
Even though I haven’t even met some of you, I like to think of our little organization like a family. For the same reasons we all became massage therapists, we are connected through a common value system to serve and support our fellow human. For me, I no longer lay hands on patients but I can support you all to support the clients, and that feels good. One of the beauties of doing business on the Big Island is that we can keep our relationships and business personal, and thats the relationship I desire to have with you all.
OK, onward to a smattering of the more mundane mechanics of working together:
To be clear, you are not my employee. You are part of a network of independent massage therapists. The labor department is on a kick to try to get massage therapists classified as employees, and while that may or may not be valid for a spa, it does not describe our working relationship. Even though it may seem like I am sending YOU a pay check, officially speaking, you pay me for my services, and what I am doing is forwarding you your portion of the pay after my fees have been paid.
Whenever I send you an email, it sets up an encrypted link between our two email programs. One that is HIPAA compliant and we are allowed to send PHI (Protected Health Information) regarding our clients. If you send me an email that is NOT a response it will not be encrypted.
When you get a new client, I will send you an email with the clients name, phone number, prescription, and any special information regarding that case. We try to use a single email thread for each client. The subject name will always be:
Client Name *** Official Thread *** #Client Phone#
Whenever you have any correspondence regarding this client, please respond to the original thread for the client and our emails will be grouped together by our email programs. That way we both know where to go for any information about that client. It also make sure that your return emails are encrypted and comply with HIPAA.
Normally in the massage industry, we’re used to the client calling us to set up the appointment...but in the medical industry, clients are used to the provider calling them when the doctor issues a referral. So at least for the first session of a prescription, I want you to call the client to schedule. Sometimes I give the client the number for more than one therapist and let them choose who they want to book with, in that case they’ll call you.
The clients phone number and summary of their treatment plan is also in the online SOAP note system. You need to follow their treatment plan otherwise the session may not be covered by insurance. If you want more info on the injury, please ask me and sometimes there is more info I can get from the doctor like office visit notes, MRI reports etc. There is a link to the note system on the INFORMATION FOR THERAPISTS page. The first time you login you will be sent a special password reset link. If you have not received that, please ask. Please read instructions on how to fill SOAP notes on the INFORMATION FOR THERAPISTS page.
We recommend communicating your cancellation policy to your client ahead of time, as well as sending a text reminder over 24 hours before your session. That way there is still time for them to cancel and avoid cancelation fees, and if they don’t, they have no excuse. If a client violates your cancelation policy please let us know the specific details of what time their appointment was, what time they canceled, and what was the reason so we can put it in their file. You are responsible for collecting cancellation fees but we can help you by not allowing the client to be treated by another therapist until they do. A good strategy for appointment reminders is this: every morning, text all your clients who have appointments the following day, so for example, Tuesday AM, text all you Wednesday appointments so they can still cancel without violating our 24 hour policy. Or, even better, use an online booking calendar that automatically sends the texts for you.
We try to get the client to sign their intake documents online but if they don’t, we will need you to get them to sign during their first session. You can see if we have the intake docs on file on the prescription detail page in the note system. If you need to download a copy for the client to sign…you guessed it, its on the INFORMATION FOR THERAPISTS page. Please read through the documents the first time you see them so you are familiar with what you are giving the client and can prepared to answer any questions.
Every session you will fill out at SOAP note in our SOAP note system. These notes are mostly for billing purposes and are not very detailed. You are welcome to keep your own set of notes if you want more detail. You must read our guide on the INFORMATION FOR THERAPISTS page about how to fill out SOAP notes. The notes are due every Sunday night.
At the end of the prescription you will fill out a more detailed progress report that gets sent to the doctor. This report includes your progress, and what still needs to be done and your recommendations for more treatment. You should fill this out 1-2 weeks or 1-2 sessions BEFORE the treatment plan is finished so that the doctor has a chance to read it. At the same time you should remind patient to follow up with their doctor if they are wanting more treatment because the doctor will often need more than just our recommendation to issue a new plan.
Work comp billing and payments are made once a month. No fault car accident billing and payments are done twice a month. See the current schedule … you guessed it….on the INFORMATION FOR THERAPISTS page.
Bills usually take 6 weeks to get paid for no-fault auto cases, and between 6 weeks and 6 months for work comp cases. Please see the document “Billing and Payments: Schedule, Rates, and Risks” in the required reading section of the INFORMATION FOR THERAPISTS page.
According to your contract, we pay you when the insurance company sends us the check. But for the moment, for work comp cases only, we are experimenting with advancing your pay after it gets billed. If there was ever an lack of payment due to a gross error on your part (like not following the treatment plan) we would ask you to return the advance. Otherwise there is usually not an issue with work comp payments.
We send your payment through direct deposit. You only pay the reduced rate for GE taxes for this income because we are collecting and paying the retail portion. Make sure to track this income separately and put it under the “wholesale service” section in the GE tax form.
To fill out the progress report or any other forms, we recommend the app Adobe Fill and Sign or similar. If using this be sure not to enable the cloud storage features because those would violate HIPAA regulations. For scanning paper documents to send us, we recommend the app Microsoft Lens or similar, again not using the cloud features.
If any of these procedures or instructions intimidate you, PLEASE ask for help. That is what we are here for: to be the bridge between you, the talented healer, and the bureaucracy. We will try as best we can to make the process flow easily.
It should be apparent by now that the INFORMATION FOR THERAPISTS page should be your first source for answers and I can always clarify if any questions that remain. Please go there NOW, and bookmark it for future reference, both on your phone and on your computer. You will need to go there repeatedly to find a link, download a form, or refresh yourself on a procedure. Before your first client, please look it over and read all the documents in the “required reading” section.
There are 6 of us currently in the BIMN administrative “office”. They are all friends of mine.
Tiana, Ryan and I co manage the team and normally are the ones who talk to the therapists, the doctors, the patients, and get new claims set up and verified. Tiana does work comp, Ryan does no fault, and I do federal work comp claims and cover as needed. We try to be available Monday-Thursday but sometimes will take a day off here or there. Tiana works out of her home in Honaunau, and Ryan and I work out of my home in Puna. Betsey does billing and all things to do with money, dates, and numbers, she usually works Tuesdays and sometimes Thursdays when needed. Wendy does some accounting stuff as well. We all lead dynamic lives and travel from time to time and cover for each other when needed. Another dear friend Dan in California has been helping us by automating our notes and record systems and maintaining our database.
So happy to be working together, don’t hesitate to call me for any questions or clarifications.
Aloha,
- Jacob
Owner and Co-Team Manager